
Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance appeared to take a swipe at his Democratic counterpart, Kamala Harris, during a campaign event in Traverse City, Michigan, on Wednesday, September 25, 2024. The Ohio senator referenced Harris’s frequently mentioned upbringing, drawing a contrast between their backgrounds while challenging her credibility on middle-class issues.
Vance emphasized his own working-class roots to the crowd, saying, “Now, look, a lot of you know my story and a lot of you know where I came from. Look, I grew up in a working-class family. And so, when the Democrats — when Kamala Harris — talks about her middle-class background, when the Democrats talk about how they stand for working people, they’re not telling the truth.” He punctuated his point with a blunt accusation, adding, “They’re lying to you.”
The Republican vice-presidential candidate’s remarks come as he campaigns in key battleground states like Michigan, which alongside Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, forms the Democrats’ so-called “blue wall.” These states have become critical swing states in recent election cycles, flipping between Republicans and Democrats, most notably during Donald Trump’s 2016 victory and Joe Biden’s narrow win in 2020.
During his speech, Vance referenced the COVID-19 pandemic, using it to criticize Harris and other Democrats for their handling of lockdowns and mandates. “Here’s how we know they’re lying to you,” he said. “Remember back a few years ago when there were a lot of nurses, a lot of people in a lot of industries that were losing their jobs because they refused to take the COVID shot? Now, I believe if you want to take the COVID shot, take the shot. If you don’t want to take the COVID shot, don’t take the COVID shot. But listen, it is disgraceful for Kamala Harris to say that she stands for the American working man when she fired millions of American working men and women from their jobs for not doing what Kamala Harris would tell them to do.”
Vance’s Michigan stop is part of a broader effort to secure the state for both former President Trump’s re-election bid and other Republican candidates, such as former Rep. Mike Rogers, who is running for the U.S. Senate. After praising Rogers, Vance shifted focus back to Harris, mocking her recent interview appearances.
“I don’t know if you saw the news but Kamala Harris has decided to give her first solo national interview,” Vance said. “I’ve watched a couple of these interviews, local journalists with Kamala Harris, and I’ve realized why it is that Kamala Harris doesn’t give interviews. And the answer is that every time she answers a question, I think we gain about 100,000 votes, me and Donald Trump.”
He continued by criticizing Harris’s responses to key policy issues. “They ask Kamala, of course, because she’s the vice president and she is the reason why we have sky-high inflation and a wide open border, what are you going to do? What is your specific plan to solve the inflation crisis that’s making it unaffordable to buy groceries and housing? And Kamala will say, well, did you know that I grew up in a middle-class family, I had a very nice lawn back there in Berkeley, California,” Vance said. “It’s like, well, that might be true. What the hell does that have to do with lower inflation?”
Vance didn’t stop there, continuing his critique of Harris for allegedly avoiding substantive answers. “Or they’ll say, Kamala Harris, we’ve got a war in every new continent across the country. Kamala Harris, your administration has in some ways led to the policies that caused this conflict. How are you going to solve it as President of the United States? And Kamala Harris will say, well, did you know that I worked at McDonald’s for about three months when I was a teenager?”
Summing up his argument, Vance questioned Harris’s competence in office. “I think my friends, all of us watching this interview are saying to ourselves, what is Kamala Harris? What is she actually planning to do for the American people? And the answer is we don’t know. [But] we don’t have to guess that much because she’s been the vice president for three and a half years and she hasn’t done a thing. So let’s dispense with this idea that Kamala Harris is going to fix the very problem she caused.”
Vance concluded his speech with a final jab at Harris, blaming her for a range of crises, including inflation, immigration, and global conflicts. “Kamala Harris is why we have sky-high inflation. Kamala Harris is why you can’t afford groceries or housing. Kamala Harris is why the world is at war right now in nearly every single continent. Kamala Harris is why the border is wide open. And Kamala Harris, you want a promotion? The message from Michigan is you’re fired. Go back to San Francisco where you belong.”
With Michigan remaining a key battleground state, both Republicans and Democrats will be vying for its electoral votes, knowing its significance in shaping the 2024 presidential race.